gavin6942
A crooked politician (Brian Donlevy) finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster (Joseph Calleia) from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.The staff at Variety magazine gave the film a favorable review, writing, "Parading a murder mystery amidst background of politics, gambling czars, romance and lusty action, this revised version of Dashiell Hammett's novel — originally made in 1935 — is a good picture of its type...Mixed well, the result is an entertaining whodunit with sufficient political and racketeer angles to make it good entertainment for general audiences. Donlevy makes the most of his role of the political leader who fought his way up from the other side of the tracks." You know, it is hard to top George Raft (who was in the original), and I am not sure if Alan Ladd is successful in that regard. But what this remake does have going for it is Veronica Lake, who may be the greatest femme fatale of the era. She seems to get forgotten these days, but between this and "I Married a Witch", she was a strong presence.
utgard14
Crooked political boss Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) tries to clean up his act when he falls for Janet Henry (Veronica Lake), the daughter of a reformist politician. When Janet's brother is killed, all signs point to Paul having done it. So his right-hand man Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd), who also has a thing for Janet (and vice-versa), must figure out who committed the crime to save his friend from a murder rap.The second pairing of Ladd and Lake is also the second film adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett novel The Glass Key. They have great chemistry, of course, but Ladd and Donlevy's bromance almost overshadows it. This is one of Ladd's best roles. Lake is sexy and fun. Whenever I see a Veronica Lake movie from this period I'm always anxious to see another. It's a shame she was so difficult to work with that her time in the spotlight was so brief. Brian Donlevy is very good in this playing a character not too far removed from his classic Preston Sturges movies. Really good supporting cast includes Bonita Granville, Joseph Calleia, Richard Denning, Donald MacBride, and even Dane Clark in a small part. William Bendix is a scene stealer as a sadistic bruiser that works for Calleia. Some say the ending is abrupt and the story confusing. Can't say that I agree with that. I thought the story was easy to follow and the resolution to the mystery made sense. This is an enjoyable film noir with lots of snappy patter and good characters. Also some solid stunt work and a first-rate makeup job on a battered Alan Ladd. Obviously a must-see for fans of Ladd, Lake, and Hammett but I think most people who like 1940s film noir and crime pictures will like it.
SnoopyStyle
In the heat of an election, big politician Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) decides to refuse gangster Nick Varna to clean up his image. His right hand man Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd) doesn't support it or his wish to support reform candidate Ralph Henry. Madvig expects to have the key to Henry but Beaumont warns him that it might turn out to be a glass key. Madvig is enchanted with the fiery Henry daughter Janet (Veronica Lake). Henry's son Taylor is a degenerate gambler and the boyfriend to Paul's sister Opal 'Snip' Madvig. Taylor is murdered and Ed finds the body. Madvig is non-chalant. Nick starts spreading rumors that Paul Madvig might have been the killer.Veronica Lake is the personification of that noir style damsel. She's got that cool demeanor and that swooping hair style. Alan Ladd is the male equivalent in this movie which comes off more stiff than compelling. It would be better if he has a bigger presence or more animated. I do like that everybody has murky motivations and the murder mystery is interesting. I don't like the stiff Alan Ladd performance. He just has that one facial expression.
InjunNose
"The Glass Key" should have served as the model for all subsequent films based on hardboiled crime fiction. Brian Donlevy, Alan Ladd, William Bendix and tiny, delectable Veronica Lake all seem born to play their parts: Ladd, in particular, is perfect as the snappy, no-nonsense Ed Beaumont. Director Stuart Heisler gets the bleak atmosphere down pat. And, most important of all, the script is true to the morally ambiguous vision of Dashiell Hammett (except for that minor but cringe-inducing change to the ending, of course). There are no "good guys" in this tale: some of the characters behave much more reprehensibly than others, but there are only degrees of bad. This is what made Hammett's writing special, and it's why "The Glass Key" stands head and shoulders above many other, better-known examples of film noir like Howard Hawks' wildly inconsistent adaptation of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep". (In the scene during which Ladd is held captive and roughed up by Bendix, Akira Kurosawa fans will immediately recognize the inspiration for a pivotal scene in the Japanese master filmmaker's "Yojimbo".)
AD
